Charlotte Hornets vs Washington Wizards Betting Pick & Prediction 12/19/24

At 7:00 ET, the 3-21 Washington Wizards will host the 7-19 Charlotte Hornets in a Southeast Division matchup. The Hornets are favored by 4 points and have a moneyline of -174.

The over/under line for this game is 226 points. Washington is currently on a three-game losing streak and is 15th in the Eastern Conference, while Charlotte has lost two straight and is 13th in the East.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS VS WASHINGTON WIZARDS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Washington Wizards +4

This game will be played at Capital One Arena at 7:00 ET on Thursday, December 19th.

WHY BET THE WASHINGTON WIZARDS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 134-132 in favor of the Hornets.
• Our projections have LaMelo Ball finishing with 26 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists.
• From the field, we have the Hornets finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.3% and knocking down 15 threes.

Can Charlotte Deliver Being Favored on the Road?

The Hornets fell to 7-19 on the season after a 121-108 loss to the 76ers on Monday. Charlotte, who were +2.5 point underdogs, couldn’t cover the spread at home. The game’s total of 229 points exceeded the O/U line of 218.5 by 10.5 points.

Charlotte trailed 31-23 after the 1st quarter but fought back in the 2nd, outscoring the 76ers 26-23. However, a 41-30 3rd quarter by Philadelphia put the Hornets in a 95-79 hole going into the 4th. Charlotte responded with a 10-0 run, cutting the deficit to 95-92, but the 76ers pulled away in the end, outscoring the Hornets 26-29 in the final quarter.

Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 24 points and 6 rebounds in their loss to the 76ers, shooting 52.6% from the field. Nick Richards contributed 19 points, hitting 77.8% of his shots, while LaMelo Ball added 15 points and 12 assists, despite shooting just 33.3%.

As a team, the Hornets shot 50.6% from the field, but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting only 31.6% of their threes. They made 12 three-pointers in the game, with Ball connecting on 3 of them at a 37.5% rate.

Defensively, the Hornets had a strong 2nd quarter, but a tough 3rd quarter where they gave up 41 points contributed to their 121-108 loss to the 76ers. Overall, Charlotte allowed Philadelphia to shoot 51% from the field.

From beyond the arc, the Hornets gave up 16 threes on 42% shooting. They also sent the 76ers to the line 30 times, where they made 23 free throws. Charlotte finished with 12 steals and 8 blocks.

Can the Wizards Secure a Win at Home?

The Wizards fell to 3-21 on the season after a 112-98 loss to the Celtics on Sunday. Washington, who entered the game as +17.5 point underdogs, managed to cover the spread. The total score of 210 points fell well short of the 233.5-point over/under line.

A 15-0 run by Boston early on put Washington in a tough spot, as the Celtics stretched the score from 26-23 to 38-26. The Wizards trailed 91-72 going into the 4th quarter but outscored Boston 26-21 in the final period.

In Sunday’s loss to the Celtics, the Wizards managed just 98 points, shooting 40.4% from the field. They hit 13 threes at a 32.5% clip.

Jordan Poole led with 21 points, 8 of which came in the 4th quarter. Bilal Coulibaly added 19, including 11 in the opening period.

Despite a strong defensive effort in the 2nd half, the Wizards couldn’t overcome their early struggles, allowing 34 points in the 1st quarter and 33 in the 2nd, leading to a 112-98 loss to the Celtics. Washington did manage to hold Boston to 24 points in the 3rd and 21 in the 4th, but the damage was already done.

The Wizards gave up 18 three-pointers on 39% shooting from deep. They also sent the Celtics to the line 24 times, where Boston made 14 free throws. Washington recorded 10 steals and 7 blocks in the game.